Monday, June 27, 2011

The One With the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Why is a cookbook exciting? Because it has many stirring events."

That lovely little joke, as well as the following recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies came to me in the form of a little cookbook put together by my great-grandmother and her church friends in 1979.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add the hot coffee or water. Mix in sifted dry ingredients. Add vanilla and almond extract. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

My great-grandmother also included this tip: "I always double this recipe. I divide it before adding the chocolate chips, that way I have a batch of oatmeal cookies. I insert a plastic bag into coffee cans and fill them with cookies. They keep indefinitely in freezer, or in refrigerator. You can warm them for a minute or two in a hot oven to have freshly baked tasting cookies."

Glancing through the rest of the book I discovered her greatest contribution was to the dessert section. So that proves it... the fact that I am mostly interested in making desserts is genetic... I can't help it.

This recipe is really good. In my teenage years I consumed several batches of just the dough... but the cookies themselves are also great. It's the little additions like the almond extract and the coffee that make a big difference. Plus, they have oatmeal in them which, of course, means they totally count as a breakfast food.

2 comments:

I know a lot of folks who don’t eat eggs (they’re allergic, for health reasons, or concerns about animal cruelty). Here’s an awesome site that gives tips on cooking and baking without eggs: http://EggFreeLiving.com